NORMAN — Eric Mensik says he doesn’t have anything against the University of Oklahoma, its academic offerings or the advisers who helped him change his major to multidisciplinary studies.

Eric Mensik, a converted tight end forced into action late in the season, has seized the right tackle slot for OU. Photo by Jaconna Aguirre, The Oklahoman

“I’m not upset with anything that they’ve done for me,” Mensik, a former Sooner offensive lineman who graduated from OU in 2010, told The Oklahoman. “They did a wonderful job. If anything, at the end of the day it was my decision to major in multidisciplinary studies.”

Mensik is one of four athletes featured in next week’s episode of “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel,” which debuts at 9 p.m. Tuesday on HBO.

The segment, reported by Bernard Goldberg, investigates how decreased admission standards with higher graduation requirements led to many schools pushing players through with diplomas that did nothing to help them after their playing days were over.

Oklahoma officials declined to comment, likely until after the program airs Tuesday night.

The Oklahoman was provided an advance copy of the segment.

In the program, Mensik describes his degree as “a football degree” and says it hasn’t helped much in the search for a stable job.

A central part of the report is Mary Willingham, a University of North Carolina learning specialist who in a January story on CNN said her research on 183 football or basketball players at UNC from 2004-2012 found 60 percent reading at fourth- to eighth-grade levels and about 10 percent below third-grade level.

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by Ryan Aber

OU Athletics Reporter

Ryan Aber has worked for The Oklahoman since 2006, covering high schools, the Oklahoma City RedHawks, the Oklahoma City Barons and OU football recruiting. An Oklahoma City native, Aber graduated from Northeastern State. Before joining The...